TITCLOWN: daddy's little girl - Jessica Aszkenasy on desire, power and TITCLOWN: daddy's little girl at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
- Cultural Dose
- Aug 14
- 4 min read
Jessica Aszkenasy returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe following her critically acclaimed debut, once again stepping into the role of her clown persona TITCLOWN with TITCLOWN: daddy's little girl. Built around a faceless dummy in a suit known only as "Daddy", the show is a furious, fearless hour of clowning that explores desire, heartbreak and the politics of being loved. Through voice notes, silent-film projections, costume changes and anarchic theatrical comedy, the production unpicks power, femininity and modern dating, while examining the messy collision between intimacy, performance and gender politics. We caught up with Jessica to hear more about the show.
The show was created after an amicable breakup. How did that experience turn into a show?
In the aftermath, I was trying to sort through how much of what I was feeling was a response to wider patriarchal conditioning and what feelings stemmed from the ending of a relationship. My ex-partner and I are very much still friends. This isn’t a “fuck you” show. The way I create is I live things, process them, then turn them into a performance of some sort. This is me putting all of those feelings through a weird emotional sausage maker and seeing what comes out the other end.
Can you tell us a bit about “heteropessismism” and "heterodesperation". Do you think a lot of women will recognise those feelings?
If conversations I’ve been having with my female friends and what I see on social media are anything to go by, I think so yes. There was an article in Vogue last year called “Is having a boyfriend embarrassing now?” that went viral. It talked about how having a boyfriend is starting to lose the social capital it once held because heterosexual women are recognising more and more how little certain romantic relationships enrich their lives vs how much labour they require. Heteropessimism basically encapsulates that feeling. Heterodesperation is the more heightened version. Wanting a partner and to be in a relationship but desperately worrying that you’ll be unable to find a partner equipped to meet your needs.
Modern dating is one of the show's themes. What frustrates you most about contemporary romance?
I think how little of each other’s humanity we’re willing to make space for. We all want intimacy but so few of us are willing to really be vulnerable (I very much include myself in this) and do “the work”. Stating that men are lacking the skills required for intimacy feels redundant at this point. While overall I think this is largely true, heterosexual women have a great big hand in allowing them to be stunted by not setting boundaries and sticking up for themselves. Women hide in relationships; from their partners and from themselves. They allow the relationship to take up the space where personhood and self-authority should be. It’s boring. A few years ago I was very angry with men, now I think the tables may have turned a little. Ha ha.
Female anger is often treated very differently to male anger. Why do you think people are still so uncomfortable with it?
I think a lot of times female anger is seen as illegitimate and unjustified. Vindictive or something. When we stop being willing to absorb mistreatment it isn’t seen as setting a boundary, it’s seen as being “a bitch” or being vengeful. Any behaviour that doesn’t fit in with the patriarchal idea of the feminine (aka entirely submissive) is seen as bad. Which is so wild because the feminine creates life and has never been a submissive energy. Allowing the feminine to be autonomous is seen as deeply threatening, especially when the anger isn’t entirely “righteous”.
You have a background on OnlyFans as well as in theatre. What has working in those two worlds brought to the show?
On OnlyFans I’m selling a completely objectifiable 1D version of myself with very little emotional depth. On stage I get to showcase more of my humanity. I also get to be playful and gross, but I get to be sexy if I want to. I think the combination of the show creates a lot of freedom and chaos. Being human is mental and grotesque. That’s what I’m aiming for. That, and a lot of heart too.
What interests you about the moment of discomfort when the audience is laughing but is then made to question what they are laughing at?
Because before they’ve been able to intellectualise what’s going on, they’ve related somehow. Not to sound too kumbayah, but our humanity is what links us. Even if your world view and life experience was vastly different, something about what you’ve just seen has resonated. Then you kind of work back and retrace what it was that got the reaction. There’s like a shared consciousness or something. I find that fascinating.
TITCLOWN is a larger-than-life persona. Are there things she can say or do that Jessica can't?
In my last show I drew a mouth on my boobs and made them kiss people on the head. I also covered myself in red paint and wrapped myself in clingfilm. I’m not sure real life Jessica would get away with that in Morrison’s.
TITCLOWN: daddy’s little girl will be performed at 10:45pm at Summerhall from 6th – 31st August.
